1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to the field of information technologies, and more specifically the field of man-machine interfaces (MMIs) in a multimodal access environment, i.e. access to a multimedia database via several modes, for example keyboard mode and/or voice mode and/or graphical mode. The present invention relates more specifically to a method and a device for querying a multimedia database from a telecommunication terminal.
2. Description of the Relevant Art
“Multimedia database” is understood to mean a database having records with fields that may contain or refer to multimedia data such as text, sound, pictures or video. In other words, in a multimedia database, many types of digital data can be used simultaneously.
Many services offer users the possibility of obtaining information by accessing databases. These applications may be completely loaded in fixed or mobile telecommunication terminals, or distributed over various networked platforms.
Often, after a user has submitted a query for information through an application implementing a service, the number of responses to the request reflecting the query is too large. Hence, a number of problems arise, for example displaying problems. Some applications therefore suggest that the user refine their query by submitting a new query for information based on criteria for querying the database other than those used before. These criteria are predetermined and cannot be relied upon to rapidly decrease the number of responses to a database query.
In the prior art, applications exist that aim to improve the reduction in the number of records in response to a database query, by successive requests varying the database query criteria.
For example, patent application EP 1 197 951 discloses a voice recognition system estimating recognition scores to assess the similarity between the spoken phrase and the models in a dictionary. This document applies only in a voice context and not a multimodal context.
Patent application WO 01/69427 relates to information searches using natural spoken language as input and with a multimodal return of information, but makes no mention of a method of automatic choice of database query criteria.
Thus, in view of the above, the subjects of the invention are a method and a system for reducing the number of results obtained, possibly down to a single result, from a query of a multimedia database.